Time to be Crowned

Addy

We’re making our way down the hall to the throne room, and my mind is a whirlwind. I’m aware of the expectations Drake and I are about to shoulder, but how will our people react? Not everyone is thrilled about the changes that will follow our acceptance.

“I can’t believe what we’re about to do. I’m so lucky to be the best friend of a Luna Queen. How many people can say that?” she skips ahead a bit.

I shake my head gently. “You would have been a great fit for this role, given your upbringing. Your parents prepared you for something like this your whole life.”

She frowns slightly, looking at me. “There’s no way I could handle some of the things you and Drake have done in the last few meetings. I would have lost my temper with that one Alpha who wouldn’t listen and was unruly.”

She’s referring to a meeting two weeks ago with a particularly disgruntled Alpha who didn’t want to accept that he would have to answer to someone in a higher position than his own. Drake spent hours arguing with him before the Alpha’s Beta managed to calm him down enough to remind him that the moon goddess had arranged this. After a brief break and a quiet conversation with his Beta in a corner, he finally agreed to all of the terms.

Drake reassured him that he could still run his pack the way he had been since he took over, but if something were reported that was incorrect, he would have to act on it.

The older Alpha shook hands with Drake but acted like it was an insult having to answer to such a young male. They finally left a few days after we invited them to stay and see how well everything was being run. He shot us a glare when they did, but we ignored it.

I chuckle softly at her. “He was a pain in my ass, but Drake finally got his point across. There will be others in the future who will give us this same problem as they are united under the kingdom.”

We stop at the door, which is standing closed, and my breath quickens. I close my eyes to get it under control, and Tate taps my arm.

“Breathe, Addy. You don’t want to pass out while they’re crowning you,” he chuckles.

I give him a stern look. “Easy for you to say. I didn’t realize this would be so hard, and we have talked about it being something simple but not like this.”

Myra pats my shoulder. “This should be a breeze for you. Mystic has been through this many times before; pull from her if you need the strength to get through this.”

I let out a small groan. “I need to learn to do things without relying on her constantly. She has done something like this so much that it would be easy to ask her for help, but I want to do it myself. She has promised to be in the background unless I ask.”

Tate gives me a sidelong glance. “That’s a wise choice. If you can learn to do things independently and not rely on someone else, that will make you a stronger leader.”

My dad approaches us with a huge smile on his face. When I learned that Ewart was controlling both of them and it wasn’t their choice to treat me that way, I made sure they would be included. You might ask how I did this. Well, with Mystic’s help, we sent word a few hours before all of this happened to have them come. With my mother’s help, we sent a messenger out with word for them to join in this significant time. I knew they didn’t want to miss this, and I will also ask them to move in here at the castle with us after the ceremony. Drake’s dad would ask him to return as his Beta once he learned about what happened. That was another one of Mystic’s going back in time to correct what was done wrongfully. He will be asked after this part is over, but I will allow them to move in here if he doesn’t want to return to his old role. I can catch up on all the lost years as we grow closer again. My memories of my life before he invaded their bodies are remarkable. The fun times they took me to the beach and took time out of their busy days to spend time as a family makes my heart warm and full of pride; they are my parents. Seeing how it used to be will make it easier to move forward with the loving people they are.

“Thank you for allowing me to walk you down the aisle for this. I had hoped you would be able to figure out that what happened with you growing up was not us doing all the abuse but someone else. We fought every step to get our bodies back from him, but he was too strong. Watching what happened to you broke our hearts repeatedly, knowing we couldn’t stop anything. He enjoyed watching us suffer under his control while taking his anger out on you. Your mother and I will spend the rest of our lives making up for what he did so we can be a family,” his eyes sparkle in the lights.

A smile spreads across my face; I take his arm with my hand. “I used to hate you for what happened to me growing up. There were days I would pray, asking for a new set of parents to take me away. We have the rest of our lives to correct everything that went wrong because of him. I am honored that you will be here with me now.”

The doors swing open as my breath catches, knowing what will happen. The other ladies start down the aisle before Myra lays her hand on my arm.

“Take deep breaths during this, Addy. You are about to become a queen and get married at the same time, in a way. I know the mating ritual is your wedding, but with the two of you now holding a higher power, the people wanted to see both happen at once,” her eyes sparkle with excitement.

She picks up the train of my dress, fluffing it out before stepping in front of me. Her feet slowly walk down the aisle before the man nods to my father that it’s my time to start. Taking a deep breath, my feet follow my dad’s footsteps as he proceeds to the front of the throne room. My hands shake as he stops at Drake, whose face is beaming when we arrive.

He reaches out his hand to me as my dad places mine gently into the open part. He leans over and kisses my cheek before returning to his seat. Looking up at the priest staring down at us, he starts speaking about love, leadership, and marriage. We exchange the commitment vow again that says we will be faithful to each other and look for advice from one another and our loyal followers. Once the vow is finished, he transitions into the speech for us to recite as rulers. Drake kneels on the pillow that has been placed on the first step.

“Will you, Drake, take on this role as our King doing everything in your power to make fair and logical decisions for every one of your subjects?” he turns around, taking a massive gold crown off a red velvet pillow.

“I will do what the law requires of a leader, keeping each pack running smoothly while taking on the burden of correcting any problem that might arise,” his eyes sparkle but have a hint of tears in them.

His hands on each side slowly slide the crown onto his head before handing him a scepter and orb before he stands, walking up to his side of the throne and taking a seat. Next, I kneel before he takes the tiara, slowly placing it on my head after repeating the exact words that Drake recited. With his hand extended, I am helped up the steps before he releases it allowing me to sit on the other throne. Massive applause and cheering erupt throughout the throne room as the congregation yells, “Long Live the King. Long live the Queen.”

Smiling at everyone watching this moment, my eyes close briefly before letting out a long breath. Opening them, Drake smiles with me at everyone gathered around the place. The priest holds his arms as everyone goes down on one knee, bowing their heads before standing back up.

“Please enjoy the feast that will be held in the dining hall. The King and Queen will be there shortly to wine and dine with all their subjects in a few minutes,” he announces as people file out of the room.

Once everyone is gone, he takes the items from Drake, putting them back into a glass case and closing the lid. His older eyes show how excited he is now. “I never thought we would have this in my lifetime. We have waited a long time for you to rise and take power, your Highnesses. This contract needs to be signed by both of you.”

He handed us a piece of paper that both of our advisors had gone over a few days before all of this took place, making sure there were no clauses or deception. Drake picks up the pen, signing his name before I sign the line under it. The priest takes the paper rolling it up before sliding it into a tube and placing it on top of the glass case.

Laying his hand on the tube, “This needs to be put back into the vault for safekeeping.”

Tate walks through the door, saying, “I can do that. I was headed back to see if anything needed to be put up in a secure location. Part of my job is to take care of things like this.”

He scoops them up, exiting the room with Soloman, Kevin, and Ryan in tow. He always makes sure he has witnesses, so no one can accuse him of not doing his job right.

The priest makes his way down the steps and out the door, heading towards the dining hall. Drake lets out a soft chuckle, his fingers brushing the crown. “I always wondered how it would feel when this moment arrived. Now that it’s here, it feels like a dream.”

I give a slow nod, my hand finding his. “We’ve had a tough journey to get here, but I’m relieved it’s finally over.”

As our fingers intertwine, a surge of power pulses through us. Our bodies tremble as the weight of our new roles settles in. Our eyes flutter shut for a moment, the shaking gradually easing until it’s replaced by a sudden, overwhelming rush that quickly dissipates.

A wave of nausea washes over me, prompting me to press a hand to my mouth. It passes, but not without Drake noticing.

“Are you okay?” he asks, an eyebrow raised in concern.

I shake my head slowly. “I’m fine. It’s probably just everything that’s happened in the last few hours catching up with me. Let’s go join everyone for our crowning ceremony.”

He rises to his feet, pulling me into his embrace before planting a deep kiss on my lips. Desire stirs within me, but I quickly push it aside. Now isn’t the time. We have the whole night to celebrate in that way. For now, we have guests waiting for the festivities to begin.